For Charles Holly, life seemed normal as a healthy 66-year-old man. After all, he didn’t have any major medical problems. But when he started experiencing a chest cough one day, he decided to visit his doctor to get it checked out. The chest X-ray came back clear, but Holly’s physician suggested he get further screening through a new lung CT scan that would detect if there were any problems beyond what the X-ray was capable of revealing. Not taking any chances, Holly set up the appointment. Little did he know the test results would change his life forever.

Holly discovered there were five tumors in his lungs. Further testing revealed all of them were malignant. He now faced a diagnosis of lung cancer, which has a smaller survival rate than many other types of cancers and

Charles Holly, cancer survivor with the help of a multidisciplinary team of experts.

is often more complex to treat. That’s why many hospitals have created multidisciplinary care programs to treat rare and complex cancers. These programs allow teams of medical professionals to collaborate and discuss the best approach to treating a person’s cancer. Holly’s journey began at the Rex Thoracic Multidisciplinary Care Program. There, he worked with nearly a dozen medical and support staff to fight his lung cancer and eventually become cancer-free.

What Is Multidisciplinary Care? Multidisciplinary care is a collaborative care model in which a team of health care professionals work together to provide the best possible treatment plan for the patient. The team typically consists of physicians with different sub-specialty backgrounds—advanced practitioners, a patient navigator and support services staff (social worker, nutritionist, etc.)—who help patients navigate their treatment from start to finish. In a typical health care environment, a patient would visit several physician specialists at different times and in different locations to get treated for each part of his or her disease. However, with multidisciplinary care a patient’s visit may include sitting in a room with all of the physician specialists while they discuss how all of their pieces of the treatment puzzle fit together to take care of the patient as a whole.

“The lens through which each physician looks at the patient is different given their professional training,” said Emmeline Madsen, manager of Cancer Specialty Services at Rex Cancer Center. “In a multidisciplinary care environment, the entire treatment plan for a patient is pieced together using those different expert lenses.”

Multidisciplinary care originated in an academic medical environment. Physicians often formed teams around a diagnosis and discussed the best way to treat it. The trend has since shifted more to community hospitals due to a growing need and desire for specialized cancer care closer to home for patients. As that care becomes more complex over time, some medical professionals believe the shift to multidisciplinary care will become imperative and will need to be adopted by more of the health care industry. In fact, Rex has already added another multidisciplinary care program to treat patients with gastrointestinal cancers because they have seen so much success with their Thoracic Multidisciplinary Care Program over the past year. There are also plans to start programs for breast and other types of cancers in the future.

“It’s not just one doctor figuring out what to do for you,” said Madsen. “It’s eight to ten doctors figuring out the best plan.”

Benefits to Patients and Physicians The initial shock of a cancer diagnosis can be devastating. A patient must learn how to adapt to a new way of life and a new reality. While that may be a difficult process, multidisciplinary care programs can help ease some of that anxiety.

With many programs, it only takes one phone call to get a patient’s treatment plan into motion. A coordinator compiles all of the patient’s medical records and sets up his or her appointments. Prior to the initial appointment, a team of specialists, which may include medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, a radiologist, a pathologist and other specialized physicians, carefully reviews the patient’s case. A patient care navigator is also assigned to the patient to serve as the point of contact for any questions or concerns.

“It allows the patient to put the focus on their healing and the most important things instead of all the intricate details,” explained Madsen. “The patient doesn’t have to be their own secretary, biller, or anything else. Instead, the patient is supported by us.”

Multidisciplinary care offers many benefits to the patient, including efficient use of time, reduced anxiety, fewer gaps in the hand-off of care from one physician to another, and multiple experts working towards one goal—the patient’s success.

“The advantages of being in the same practice were remarkable,” said Charles Holly, a patient at Rex Cancer Center. “It was very easy to get an appointment, it was very easy to get a follow up, and my doctors were working together as a team for my care. It wasn’t like they were all separate practices. I had all of my appointments in one place.”

“This efficient and coordinated approach enhances dialogue amongst disciplines and arguably leads to improved patient outcomes, while minimizing miscommunication between providers,” explained Dr. Jeremiah Boles, a medical oncologist at Rex Cancer Center and a member of Rex’s Thoracic Cancer Multidisciplinary Care Program.

Dr. Boles treated Holly during his time in the program. From a provider’s perspective, he and other physicians agree that multidisciplinary care allows them to be more effective as medical providers.

“Fewer of our cancer patients are treated by a single physician,” said Dr. Boles. “I am able to review pertinent information with my colleague, reduce duplication of unnecessary diagnostic testing, and decrease the time it takes to initiate therapy.”

In addition, there are benefits for primary care doctors who refer their patients to programs like these. They have the added benefit of knowing their patients aren’t disappearing into a large hospital system. The multidisciplinary team remains in constant contact with the primary care physician to keep them updated on the patient’s progress.

Availability Although the journey was tough, consisting of almost a month of twice-daily radiation treatments and heavy doses of chemotherapy over a period of several months, Holly is happy to report that today he is cancer-free. He credits his success to the multidisciplinary care model and the coordinated care he received from his team.

“I had total confidence in the care I was getting,” explained Holly. “They weren’t just treating my disease. They were treating the ‘whole me.’ It’s like we were on a shared journey.”

Multidisciplinary care programs for cancer treatment are available in the Triangle area, including at Rex Cancer Center in Raleigh. Rex currently has programs to treat thoracic and gastrointestinal cancers. Patients can call to set up an appointment or be referred by a doctor. To learn more about these programs, call 919.784.3105 or visit rexhealth.com/cancer.

Dana Harris works in the marketing and public relations office at Rex Healthcare.

Multidisciplinary Care ~ A Coordinated Approach to Cancer Treatment

by Dana Harris, Rex Healthcare

For Charles Holly, life seemed normal as a healthy 66-year-old man. After all, he didn’t have any major medical problems. But when he started experiencing a chest cough one day, he decided to visit his doctor to get it checked out. The chest X-ray came back clear, but Holly’s physician suggested he get further screening through a new lung CT scan that would detect if there were any problems beyond what the X-ray was capable of revealing. Not taking any chances, Holly set up the appointment. Little did he know the test results would change his life forever.

Holly discovered there were five tumors in his lungs. Further testing revealed all of them were malignant. He now faced a diagnosis of lung cancer, which has a smaller survival rate than many other types of cancers and is often more complex to treat. That’s why many hospitals have created multidisciplinary care programs to treat rare and complex cancers. These programs allow teams of medical professionals to collaborate and discuss the best approach to treating a person’s cancer. Holly’s journey began at the Rex Thoracic Multidisciplinary Care Program. There, he worked with nearly a dozen medical and support staff to fight his lung cancer and eventually become cancer-free.

What Is Multidisciplinary Care? Multidisciplinary care is a collaborative care model in which a team of health care professionals work together to provide the best possible treatment plan for the patient. The team typically consists of physicians with different sub-specialty backgrounds—advanced practitioners, a patient navigator and support services staff (social worker, nutritionist, etc.)—who help patients navigate their treatment from start to finish. In a typical health care environment, a patient would visit several physician specialists at different times and in different locations to get treated for each part of his or her disease. However, with multidisciplinary care a patient’s visit may include sitting in a room with all of the physician specialists while they discuss how all of their pieces of the treatment puzzle fit together to take care of the patient as a whole.

“The lens through which each physician looks at the patient is different given their professional training,” said Emmeline Madsen, manager of Cancer Specialty Services at Rex Cancer Center. “In a multidisciplinary care environment, the entire treatment plan for a patient is pieced together using those different expert lenses.”

Multidisciplinary care originated in an academic medical environment. Physicians often formed teams around a diagnosis and discussed the best way to treat it. The trend has since shifted more to community hospitals due to a growing need and desire for specialized cancer care closer to home for patients. As that care becomes more complex over time, some medical professionals believe the shift to multidisciplinary care will become imperative and will need to be adopted by more of the health care industry. In fact, Rex has already added another multidisciplinary care program to treat patients with gastrointestinal cancers because they have seen so much success with their Thoracic Multidisciplinary Care Program over the past year. There are also plans to start programs for breast and other types of cancers in the future.

“It’s not just one doctor figuring out what to do for you,” said Madsen. “It’s eight to ten doctors figuring out the best plan.”

Benefits to Patients and Physicians The initial shock of a cancer diagnosis can be devastating. A patient must learn how to adapt to a new way of life and a new reality. While that may be a difficult process, multidisciplinary care programs can help ease some of that anxiety.

With many programs, it only takes one phone call to get a patient’s treatment plan into motion. A coordinator compiles all of the patient’s medical records and sets up his or her appointments. Prior to the initial appointment, a team of specialists, which may include medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, a radiologist, a pathologist and other specialized physicians, carefully reviews the patient’s case. A patient care navigator is also assigned to the patient to serve as the point of contact for any questions or concerns.

“It allows the patient to put the focus on their healing and the most important things instead of all the intricate details,” explained Madsen. “The patient doesn’t have to be their own secretary, biller, or anything else. Instead, the patient is supported by us.”

Multidisciplinary care offers many benefits to the patient, including efficient use of time, reduced anxiety, fewer gaps in the hand-off of care from one physician to another, and multiple experts working towards one goal—the patient’s success.

“The advantages of being in the same practice were remarkable,” said Charles Holly, a patient at Rex Cancer Center. “It was very easy to get an appointment, it was very easy to get a follow up, and my doctors were working together as a team for my care. It wasn’t like they were all separate practices. I had all of my appointments in one place.”

“This efficient and coordinated approach enhances dialogue amongst disciplines and arguably leads to improved patient outcomes, while minimizing miscommunication between providers,” explained Dr. Jeremiah Boles, a medical oncologist at Rex Cancer Center and a member of Rex’s Thoracic Cancer Multidisciplinary Care Program.

Dr. Boles treated Holly during his time in the program. From a provider’s perspective, he and other physicians agree that multidisciplinary care allows them to be more effective as medical providers.

“Fewer of our cancer patients are treated by a single physician,” said Dr. Boles. “I am able to review pertinent information with my colleague, reduce duplication of unnecessary diagnostic testing, and decrease the time it takes to initiate therapy.”

In addition, there are benefits for primary care doctors who refer their patients to programs like these. They have the added benefit of knowing their patients aren’t disappearing into a large hospital system. The multidisciplinary team remains in constant contact with the primary care physician to keep them updated on the patient’s progress.

Availability Although the journey was tough, consisting of almost a month of twice-daily radiation treatments and heavy doses of chemotherapy over a period of several months, Holly is happy to report that today he is cancer-free. He credits his success to the multidisciplinary care model and the coordinated care he received from his team.

“I had total confidence in the care I was getting,” explained Holly. “They weren’t just treating my disease. They were treating the ‘whole me.’ It’s like we were on a shared journey.”

Multidisciplinary care programs for cancer treatment are available in the Triangle area, including at Rex Cancer Center in Raleigh. Rex currently has programs to treat thoracic and gastrointestinal cancers. Patients can call to set up an appointment or be referred by a doctor. To learn more about these programs, call 919.784.3105 or visit rexhealth.com/cancer.

Dana Harris works in the marketing and public relations office at Rex Healthcare.

Caption:

Charles Holly, cancer survivor with the help of a multidisciplinary team of experts.

Multidisciplinary Care ~ A Coordinated Approach to Cancer Treatment

by Dana Harris, Rex Healthcare

For Charles Holly, life seemed normal as a healthy 66-year-old man. After all, he didn’t have any major medical problems. But when he started experiencing a chest cough one day, he decided to visit his doctor to get it checked out. The chest X-ray came back clear, but Holly’s physician suggested he get further screening through a new lung CT scan that would detect if there were any problems beyond what the X-ray was capable of revealing. Not taking any chances, Holly set up the appointment. Little did he know the test results would change his life forever.

Holly discovered there were five tumors in his lungs. Further testing revealed all of them were malignant. He now faced a diagnosis of lung cancer, which has a smaller survival rate than many other types of cancers and is often more complex to treat. That’s why many hospitals have created multidisciplinary care programs to treat rare and complex cancers. These programs allow teams of medical professionals to collaborate and discuss the best approach to treating a person’s cancer. Holly’s journey began at the Rex Thoracic Multidisciplinary Care Program. There, he worked with nearly a dozen medical and support staff to fight his lung cancer and eventually become cancer-free.

What Is Multidisciplinary Care? Multidisciplinary care is a collaborative care model in which a team of health care professionals work together to provide the best possible treatment plan for the patient. The team typically consists of physicians with different sub-specialty backgrounds—advanced practitioners, a patient navigator and support services staff (social worker, nutritionist, etc.)—who help patients navigate their treatment from start to finish. In a typical health care environment, a patient would visit several physician specialists at different times and in different locations to get treated for each part of his or her disease. However, with multidisciplinary care a patient’s visit may include sitting in a room with all of the physician specialists while they discuss how all of their pieces of the treatment puzzle fit together to take care of the patient as a whole.

“The lens through which each physician looks at the patient is different given their professional training,” said Emmeline Madsen, manager of Cancer Specialty Services at Rex Cancer Center. “In a multidisciplinary care environment, the entire treatment plan for a patient is pieced together using those different expert lenses.”

Multidisciplinary care originated in an academic medical environment. Physicians often formed teams around a diagnosis and discussed the best way to treat it. The trend has since shifted more to community hospitals due to a growing need and desire for specialized cancer care closer to home for patients. As that care becomes more complex over time, some medical professionals believe the shift to multidisciplinary care will become imperative and will need to be adopted by more of the health care industry. In fact, Rex has already added another multidisciplinary care program to treat patients with gastrointestinal cancers because they have seen so much success with their Thoracic Multidisciplinary Care Program over the past year. There are also plans to start programs for breast and other types of cancers in the future.

“It’s not just one doctor figuring out what to do for you,” said Madsen. “It’s eight to ten doctors figuring out the best plan.”

Benefits to Patients and Physicians The initial shock of a cancer diagnosis can be devastating. A patient must learn how to adapt to a new way of life and a new reality. While that may be a difficult process, multidisciplinary care programs can help ease some of that anxiety.

With many programs, it only takes one phone call to get a patient’s treatment plan into motion. A coordinator compiles all of the patient’s medical records and sets up his or her appointments. Prior to the initial appointment, a team of specialists, which may include medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, a radiologist, a pathologist and other specialized physicians, carefully reviews the patient’s case. A patient care navigator is also assigned to the patient to serve as the point of contact for any questions or concerns.

“It allows the patient to put the focus on their healing and the most important things instead of all the intricate details,” explained Madsen. “The patient doesn’t have to be their own secretary, biller, or anything else. Instead, the patient is supported by us.”

Multidisciplinary care offers many benefits to the patient, including efficient use of time, reduced anxiety, fewer gaps in the hand-off of care from one physician to another, and multiple experts working towards one goal—the patient’s success.

“The advantages of being in the same practice were remarkable,” said Charles Holly, a patient at Rex Cancer Center. “It was very easy to get an appointment, it was very easy to get a follow up, and my doctors were working together as a team for my care. It wasn’t like they were all separate practices. I had all of my appointments in one place.”

“This efficient and coordinated approach enhances dialogue amongst disciplines and arguably leads to improved patient outcomes, while minimizing miscommunication between providers,” explained Dr. Jeremiah Boles, a medical oncologist at Rex Cancer Center and a member of Rex’s Thoracic Cancer Multidisciplinary Care Program.

Dr. Boles treated Holly during his time in the program. From a provider’s perspective, he and other physicians agree that multidisciplinary care allows them to be more effective as medical providers.

“Fewer of our cancer patients are treated by a single physician,” said Dr. Boles. “I am able to review pertinent information with my colleague, reduce duplication of unnecessary diagnostic testing, and decrease the time it takes to initiate therapy.”

In addition, there are benefits for primary care doctors who refer their patients to programs like these. They have the added benefit of knowing their patients aren’t disappearing into a large hospital system. The multidisciplinary team remains in constant contact with the primary care physician to keep them updated on the patient’s progress.

Availability Although the journey was tough, consisting of almost a month of twice-daily radiation treatments and heavy doses of chemotherapy over a period of several months, Holly is happy to report that today he is cancer-free. He credits his success to the multidisciplinary care model and the coordinated care he received from his team.

“I had total confidence in the care I was getting,” explained Holly. “They weren’t just treating my disease. They were treating the ‘whole me.’ It’s like we were on a shared journey.”

Multidisciplinary care programs for cancer treatment are available in the Triangle area, including at Rex Cancer Center in Raleigh. Rex currently has programs to treat thoracic and gastrointestinal cancers. Patients can call to set up an appointment or be referred by a doctor. To learn more about these programs, call 919.784.3105 or visit rexhealth.com/cancer.

Dana Harris works in the marketing and public relations office at Rex Healthcare.

Click here for a complete listing of past Live Well! (health and wellness) articles.

Diane and Joe Sanders

Television and film abound with dramas depicting public corruption, ambition, treachery and salacious secrets. Too many productions offer no more than melodramatic tales of honest protagonists confronting injustice and dishonest superiors.  Rarely are these elements combined with strong scripts and complex characters. Two recent TV series rise to this level.

The series Boss stars Kelsey Grammer, well known for his leading roles in successful TV comedies. But this is no comedy. In the opening scene of the series the camera stays locked on Mayor Tom Kane of Chicago (Grammer), a big-city boss at the height of his powers, while he is learning that he has an incurable degenerative brain disease. Grammer demonstrates his command of drama with his facial expression alone.

The audience begins Boss knowing a secret that Kane tries to hide not only from his enemies, but also his cronies, his staff and even his wife. A man who has triumphed in the bare-knuckles arena of Chicago politics is determined to stay the boss even as he begins losing control of his body and mind. His enemies are ever-vigilant to any sign of weakness that they can exploit, and his allies display the loyalty of a nest of vipers.

Kane’s wife, Meredith (Connie Nelson) is his Lady MacBeth, more determined to discover what secret he is hiding from her than to feel any concern. The daughter of a former Chicago mayor, she shows the public the smiling and serene face of a loving wife while privately pursuing her own ambitions for more wealth and power (shades of The House of Cards…but we digress). Having long ago dispensed with any sentiment toward each other, Tom and Meredith have even disowned their only child, Emma (Hannah Ware), rather than risk public embarrassment over her drug addiction.

The scriptwriting deftly introduces a cast of characters who all have their own agendas.  No action is what it appears on the surface, no motive is pure, no one is uncompromised.  Their center of gravity is a man who has destroyed lives and arranged murders to suit his ends. But the audience shares his terror over the knowledge of his disease and is left wondering whether his more disturbing actions result from his innate ruthlessness or his mental lapses.

This same quality of complex characters navigating through corruption makes the gritty French series, Spiral equally compelling. Unlike Boss, however, several of the characters have not lost their capacity to struggle with the moral contradictions and compromises they face as police officers, attorneys and judges.

The stars at the center of this web of intrigue are public prosecutor Pierre Clement (played by Gregory Fitoussi), police Chief Laure Berthaud (Caroline Proust) and Judge Francois Roban (Philipppe Duclos). They attempt to carry out their duties honestly and ethically within a corrupt system, and face attempts by higher-ups to have them fired for their efforts Spiral depicts high-ranking French officials as self-serving crooks and perverts who expect the judicial system to serve their needs rather than the needs of justice.

Each of these characters carries a burden of loneliness that infuses Spiral with an authentic humanity. Their attitude toward sex is casual while love eludes them. Chief Berthaud is perhaps the most endearing: a 30-ish hard-nosed cop, familiar with sexist snarking from her rivals and succeeding in a male-dominated profession. Yet she is susceptible to romantic crushes and at one point tearfully wonders why, “All my relationships turn into shit.”  Judge Roban is boomer-aged, single and world-weary; when a former lover resurfaces, we see his joy rekindled – and then extinguished under extremely unusual and painful circumstances.  Prosecutor Clement, despite his attractiveness to women, is unable to move past grieving over his divorce.

Spiral contains the same ingredients as less appealing crime-and-justice shows. But it has combined them into a robust saga. It sustains the quality of its storytelling over three seasons totaling 28 episodes. We continued to find our interest in the characters, their work and their personal lives compelling.

NOTE: Two seasons of Boss are available on disk from Netflix; the show contains graphic sexual scenes but little graphic violence.  Three seasons of Spiral are available through Netflix streaming but not on disk; a fourth season has aired in Europe but is not yet available through Netflix. The series is in French with English subtitles. It contains some nudity and graphic footage of crime scenes and autopsies, but no graphic sex.  Amazon offers both series for purchase but only Season 1 of Boss is available for streaming.

Joe and Dianne Sanders are devoted movie fans and used to write movie and DVD reviews frequently for Boom! We are happy to have them back

Lexus’ mid-size SUV, the RX, has been a bestseller in its segment for more than a decade. Here’s why. The RX handles like a car, is stuningly beautiful, is nearly silent inside, has Toyota reliability, and the list goes on.

Because the RX is such a breadwinner, multiple manufacturers have attempted to clone it. Their knock-offs have mimiced the RX’s roofline, but no imitation has come anywhere near the Lexus in actual comfort, convenience, ease of use and reliability. That’s because Lexus technology cannot be photocopied.

Now Lexus is offering the same best-in-class SUV as a hybrid, allowing drivers to save fuel and money, while enjoying all the comforts of a Lexus RX. The RX450h combines gasoline and electric motors (which you will never see or hear) to deliver the performance of a V-8 engine and the fuel efficiency of a four-cylinder.

When we think of hybrids we often think of the Prius (made by Toyota, the parent company of Lexus). The RX450 takes all of Toyota’s engineering experience as designer of the world’s bestselling hybrid, and merges that engineering with Lexus’ excellence an elegance.

Here’s a look into the seamless and silent technology that makes the RX450h the best hybrid SUV available. Under the hood, a 3.5 liter Lexus V-6 is paired with two electric motors, producing a combined 295 horsepower. One electric motor acts as a starter generator, and the second provides propulsion to assist the V-6 engine (thus reducing its load and improving its gas mileage).

Beneath the second row of leather-trimmed Lexus seats sits a 288-volt nickle metal hydride battery. It is charged by the starter generator as well as by regenerative braking. All of this is paired with a Continuous Variable Transmission to make for seamless performance and effortless acceleration. If you fancy All-Wheel Drive, a third rear-mounted electric motor can be added to power the rear wheels. Knowing all that goes into the propulsion of this modern carriage, you will be amazed at the smooth exchange of power and gentle glide of the braking. If you didn’t know the RX450h was a hybrid, you would never feel or hear any clues to its hidden technology.

For short trips, RX450h drivers can active EV or “Electric Vehicle” mode, which allows electric motor propulsion only. Like most hybrids, it has a limited range of only a few miles and a top speed of just 30 miles per hour. During normal driving, the Lexus cycles between electric and gasoline engines seamlessly.

On the road, the RX450h’s suspension is perfectly balanced for a gracious ride on a raised vehicle with a sporty feel. Inside, a combination of simplicity and luxury create a masterpiece of subtle elegance. Passengers are greeted by perforated leather seats, a wood and leather wrapped steering wheel, dual climate zone controls, and a host of additional features. An abundance of available power outlets and cup holders means no passenger will be short on charging stations or big gulp storage.

Thanks to a tall rear hatch, trunk space is adequate for most shopping sprees, and the rear seats fold down easily to provide extended storage space. During the test drive, a stroller and multiple suitcases fit well, even with a stop at the grocery store.

Even without hybrid technology, the standard Lexus RX embodies the Lexus brand’s market dominance and continued adaptation to customer needs. Combine that value with the best hybrid techology the world has to offer, and you have a mid-size hybrid SUV that’s unrivaled in efficency, comfort and power.

 © 2013 John Dickerson and John Kehlenbeck.

2013 Lexus RX 450h

Personality: Soccer mom meets high powered enviornmental lawyer.

Best Gizmo: The hybrid CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). Amazingly smooth and lightning quick. Also, in a salute to families, more cupholders than you know what to do with.

Most Annoying Feature: Every third car on the road will match your car’s silhouette due to the car’s popularity.

MPG: 32 mpg City/ 29 mpg Highway.

Cars we smoked at stoplights: Acura TL and a Fiat 500.

0-60: 7.5 seconds.

How Fast Is That? About average for an SUV of this size.

Where Do I Get One? Lexus.com

How Much? starts at $45,910 (a $6,000 premium over the RX350).

How long to recoup that premium cost? Normal driving for over eight years.

Serious Contenders: Acura MDX, Porsche Cayenne Hybrid and diesel engines available in the following: Mercedes ML350, BMW X5, Audi Q7.

Photos by Greg and Barbara Petty

The French Quarter Festival at Jackson Square.

My first introduction to Louisiana, and New Orleans in particular, came when a friend invited me to come meet his parents who lived near Lafayette. This is the heart of Cajun country—also known as Acadians. I loved the homes painted in every imaginable bright color; the radio playing Cajun and Zydeco music that I came to love. All the radio announcements were in Acadian French. Delightful! His parents placed before me a variety of sumptuous local dishes—I did my best to savor each item, but alas, there were just too many dishes. Now that was Louisiana hospitality! The remainder of the trip included Baton Rouge and a brief visit to the French Quarter, the Vieux Carre. It was my first visit to a European city, and I was still in America.

Our opportunity to visit again came when a mutual music aficionado Wil White (who writes some of our music reviews) invited us to join him and his friends for their biannual trip to the four day French Quarter Festival. It is the largest free music festival in the South. It was our chance to see and hear the huge variety of musical styles and fantastic performers for which New Orleans is renowned the world over.

New Orleans has had many descriptions applied to it, The Place that Care Forgot, The Crescent City, A City Named Desire, NOLA and the most popular, The Big Easy. All of them capture some of the essence of the city. New Orleans’ history has made it into America’s greatest melting pot and an example of how diverse people can contribute to create a unique city bursting with the joy of life.

The explorer LaSalle claimed the area for France and by the early 18^th century they realized that they needed a city in the Delta to control the river from encroaching Spanish and English settlements and influence. French Canadian explorer Sieur de Bienville founded New Orleans in 1718. The area we now know as The French Quarter was laid out in a grid and the city began to grow. French soldiers, Ursuline nuns and boatloads of French prisoners from Parisian jails flowed into the city. Germans came and settled the lands outside the city, The Choctaw Indians showed the people how to use the native plants for food and waves of French Acadians came to the area from Nova Scotia and Maryland. Thrown into the mix were African slaves from French speaking Caribbean islands. That is how NOLA ended up with the vibrant cultures we see today existing side by side in harmony.

Musicians at The Three Muses.

Our home base would be the Omni Royal Crescent Hotel at 535 Gravier Street, in the Warehouse/Art District just two blocks west of the Quarter. A four-diamond boutique hotel, the rooms are sumptuous, well-equipped and the staff is top notch. You can easily walk to art galleries, parks or to the Quarter from here.

Music 
Just as the city’s cultural and gastronomic delights spring from its merging of cultures, the music also celebrates the rhythms of many cultures. Cajun, Zydeco, Southern Rock, Blues and Jazz music would all be present at the French Quarter Festival held every year in mid-April. All of the area’s best performers show up for this cultural event hosted along the waterfront, streets and venues on Bourbon and Royal streets in the Quarter. Even though the festival music stops around 9pm the night is young and people then flock to their favorite venues in the Quarter or on Frenchman Street. We went to the House of Blues one evening to see The Royal Southern Brotherhood with Cyril Neville and Devon Allman (Greg’s son) and Mark Zito. The headline act was Tab Benoit. We had a wailing good time and came away fans of both groups. (See our online review at www.boomnc.com/boom-bits-reviews-books-movies-music-misc/royal-sothern-brotherhood) If you venture to Frenchman Street we suggest that you go to the Three Muses at 536 Frenchman. The restaurant is popular for its food and the quality entertainment they always bring in. We stopped for a cocktail and a bite to eat and were charmed by the music of a duet with a guitarist and accordion player. We remarked it was just like being in Paris. The food is also outstanding. Try the Hookers on Flying Saucers dish—seared bacon wrapped Gulf oysters over plantains with celery root remoulade!

By the end of the four days we came home with about six favorite bands. Among those not already mentioned before were Sean Ardoin, Grayson Capps and the Lost Cause Minstrels, and Theresa Andersson. Take our word for it—if you are a music fan the French Quarter Festival is the place to be.

The Court of the Two Sisters.

Culture and Architecture
A good way to capture the history and culture of New Orleans is to take the French Quarter Self-Guided Walking Tour put together by the Convention & Visitors Bureau. The tour will take about three hours and includes 38 stops—wear good walking shoes. After stop 29, the Old Ursulines Convent, go to the famous Café du Monde at the French Market for some beignets and their special coffee. The caffeine and sugar rush will help you get through the last site at the House of Jeane Pascal, a rare example of French Colonial architecture. A definite do-not-miss is the Historic New Orleans Collection housed in the Kemper and Leila Williams home at 533 Royal Street.The Collection is a non-profit museum, research center and publisher dedicated to the study and preservation of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South. We enjoyed the tour of the home, and I was not going to come home without a cookbook so I bought The Little Gumbo Book that contains 50 great recipes.

Architecture fans will also want to ride the St. Charles trolley west and get off at Jackson Street. This is the beginning of the Garden District and the homes and gardens of these mansions are terrific. The entire area covers 12 blocks west and five blocks south down to Magazine Street.

Being the art lovers that we are, we always make a point of visiting the art museums and galleries wherever we visit, and NOLA would be no exception. On your way back from the Garden District, get off St. Charles trolley at the St. Joseph Street stop and walk one block down to Camp Street. That’s where you will find The Ogden Museum of Southern Art at 925 Camp Street. The museum does an excellent job of telling the story of the entire South, through paintings, sculpture, arts and crafts and photography. The collection is housed in a pleasing contemporary building that allows the art to be the visitor’s central focus. We discovered two artists we really enjoyed—Julian Onderdonk’s BlueBonnet Scene With Girl and Will Henry Stevens modernist Ships in the River both struck a chord with us.

Next, we took the Canal Street trolley all the way to the end at City Park. The New Orleans Museum of Art is at the entrance to the park. The museum houses an outstanding collection of French and American art including most of the important Impressionists. We toured the Besthoff Sculpture Garden behind the museum that encircles the lagoon. The five-acre garden holds many surprises and works by world-renown artists. Walk west across the park toward Delgado Community College and go to the Morning Call for some more delicious beignets.

From the museum walk a couple of blocks east near Bayou St. John to visit Saint Louis #3 cemetery. Here you can view the iconic marble above-ground crypts NOLA is famous for.

Food
Known for its fabulous restaurants, I can only write about the places we did visit, but feel free to explore on your own—you will not be disappointed. For breakfast visit the Camellia Grill at 540 Chartres Street. We ate lunch at

Henry Moore sculpture, Reclining Mother and Child at the Besthoff Sculpture Garden.

Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville at 1104 Decatur Street. We were lucky enough to get a table outside on the balcony that enabled us to watch the passersby. The menu has a great variety including Shrimp Etouffee, Jambalaya, Shrimp and Andouille alongside the usual burgers and sandwiches. The atmosphere was fun and the food was enjoyable.

We had a group dinner at The Court of Two Sisters at 613 Royal Street. It is a meeting place for the city of New Orleans. Named after two Creole sisters who owned the notion’s shop on the site, Royal Street was also known as Governor’s Row, and the original resident was the royal governor of colonial Louisiana between 1726-1733. We enjoyed the friendly conversations and our evening dinner in the beautiful courtyard. We selected culinary delights from an expansive food and wine menu, and the ambience is one-of-a-kind.

Speaking of local culinary institutions, we recommend that everyone have dinner, lunch or the Sunday Brunch and Jazz at least once at Arnaud’s, 813 Bienville Street. Plan to spend a leisurely meal as the expert staff and gracious atmosphere is meant to be savored. We ordered a martini and the Oysters Arnaud appetizer to begin our gastronomic exploration. The oysters were followed by Crawfish O’Connor for me and Speckled Trout Mueniere for Barbara. Absolute works of art. Our waiter talked us into dessert and we finished with Chocolate Devastation—a flourless chocolate cake featuring Belgian dark chocolate and espresso that lives up to its name!

Next month’s French Quarter Festival, April 11-14, may be a good time for you to make the journey. Many thanks to Christine Decuir at the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau for assisting us with our itinerary. For sure, we will be back!

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Al Pacino in Scarface. Photo courtesy of gallery.celebritypro.com.

“Just when I thought that I was out, they pull me back in.” “Say hello to my little friend.” “I’m just getting warmed up!” “Attica! Attica!” These are just a few of the many quotes from Al Pacino films, possibly some of the most memorable lines in movie history. An actor since the 1960s, Al Pacino burst onto the American psyche with his Oscar-nominated role of Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972). He won the Oscar for best actor in 1992 with his role of Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade in Scent of a Woman (1992). Pacino received more rave reviews for starring in such films as Serpico (1973), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), …And Justice for All (1979), Scarface (1983), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), and Heat (1995). He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in October of 1997.

Al Pacino, whose trademark is his “volcanic tirade and smoke-burnished voice”—according to the website superiourpics.com—has also earned critical acclaim for his stage and television performances, most notably his portrayal of the gay character, Roy Marcus Cohn in the TV miniseries Angels in America (2004). He has also had his fair share of stinkers, including the abysmal The Devils’ Advocate, Dick Tracy, and Insomnia. There is some debate regarding movies such as The Recruit, Ocean’s Thirteen, and Any Given Sunday… appearing on the Top Ten Worst Pacino movies list, I found these films passable.

Regardless of how you rank his individual pictures, as a whole, Pacino’s body of work places him as one of the most influential actors of our day. And for a man who may be considered vertically challenged (he measures 5’6”) his love life stacks up fairly impressively. Notably, his long involvement with actress Beverly D’Angelo (with whom he has three children), actress Diane Keaton and acting coach Jan Tarrant (who birthed a daughter with Pacino). He has also been romantically linked to actresses Penelope Ann Miller, Marthe Keller, Jill Clayburgh, as well as anchor Lyndall Hobbs. And he has never been married.

Reporter Phil Thompson sat down with Mr. Pacino to discuss his current movie Stand Up Guys, also starring Alan Arkin and Christopher Walken. “Val (Al Pacino) is released from prison after serving 28 years for refusing to give up one of his close criminal associates. His best friend Doc (Christopher Walken) is there to pick him up, and the two soon re-team with another old pal, Hirsch (Alan Arkin). Their bond is as strong as ever, and the three reflect on freedom lost and gained, loyalties ebbed and flowed, and days of glory gone by. But one of the friends is keeping a dangerous secret…” reports IMDB.

Mr. Pacino, the title of your latest movie is Stand Up Guys. Do you consider yourself a stand up kind of guy? I’d like to think I am. As long as I sit down (laughs). We like to think certain things, and then we are surprised when the moment comes. That’s when we reveal our true character.

Have you always had a stand up guy in your corner? Somebody who has always been there for you throughout your life?When I was growing up in the South Bronx I had people around me who I could

Al Pacino of the TV series You Don’t Know Jack. Los Angeles, CA on May 24, 2010. © Armando Gallo / Retna Ltd.

really depend on. I wish my kids had that today. They don’t have those kinds of friendships that I grew up with. I got my social education from the streets of New York. We were out and about all the time.

Do you have one best friend in your life? I am lucky. I have a couple. But one of my buddies is out in LA. His name is Charlie Lott. I write him every day. Unfortunately he’s been afflicted with MS.

It must be difficult to be Al Pacino and try to live a normal life. How do you relax?  I play poker with my friends. I really enjoy sitting with guys around a table and hanging out. I like the gathering. There is something very comforting about it. Sometimes I lose track of time when we play.

How do you cope when things don’t go right in your life? I remember I was going through a rough time in my life, and then I went sleigh riding with my oldest daughter. I got on the sled with her, and the rush, the wind, the snow, the speed. It felt great. It was transfixing, I forgot everything else that was bothering me. Children can do that to you. They can be a wonderful inspiration.

You have young children. Did they change your view on how hard you work today?  In a way they have, yes. I take certain variables into account before I sign on to a job today. I don’t want to be gone for too long, I want to be close to my kids.

Do you still enjoy acting today? Every single time I get the urge to act, I lie down until it passes. That’s Oscar Wilde who said that. I love it when I am in the environment that makes it possible. But it really varies from project to project today though. It’s like anything else; you just do it because it’s your profession. You do what you know.

Do you ever think about retirement? Oh, no. I don’t ever consider retiring. I don’t even know what that means. Retire to what? -If the roles become far and fewer in between, then I just find other things to do.

The idea of friendship and loyalty, is it disappearing? I don’t know if it is. But I have very close friends in my life. They are important to me. People that I could have been married to, they may be the closest friends I have today. Love doesn’t alter when it finds alteration nor does it bend. Love is always there.

Are you easy to direct? I think so. When I was younger I was much more difficult. If I learned anything from directing I learned what directors go through with actors.

How has movie making changed today? A lot of our work now is dictated by the clock. We have finish within a certain time period. And that time period affects your work. Time always does. It’s a different ballgame today.

What attracted you to this project? I liked the characters. It was unusual, and exotic. It was a small film, and it had Chris Walken involved. And I love Chris. Part of it was that I really like Fisher [Director Fisher Stevens]. He’s a wonderful actor, and I wanted to support him as a director.

Was this movie a walk in the park for you? It wasn’t as hard because we are all good friends.

Do you ever feel a sense of accomplishment? None whatsoever. I feel that I am doing the wrong thing all the time. I do enjoy the process though. I look at the world as an actor. That’s my way of expressing who I am. But I need the script, of course.

Have you gotten better over the years? I have gotten easier. That’s what they tell me. When I was younger I was a lot more intense.

You always carry books in your pocket. What are you reading right now? I am reading the Richard Burton diaries. I enjoy it. This was a very elegant man. It was a funny story when I met him. We met in Canada, and he asked me for my number. I was very nervous so I wrote down Best Wishes, Al Pacino.

Diane Keaton just wrote her biography. How about you? Sounds intriguing. I have not read Diane’s book yet, but I heard she speaks well of me. Thank goodness (laughs).

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Al Pacino Video